Scaffold supporting structure



ec. R11, 1951 R. E. PIERSON EIAL SCAFFOLD SUPPORTING STRUCTURE INVENTORS REUBEN E. P/EESON BY CHARLES W. HEEW/G ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 11, 1951 OFFICE SCAFFOLD SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Reuben E.Pi'erson and Charles l'rierwig, Seattle, Wash.

Application Ianuary 28, 1948 Serial No.4,896

=3 Claims. 1

A distinct problem in erecting "concrete forms "and similar building structures concerns the adequacy and safety of work scaifolding conveniently available to the workmen at successive stages during the rise of the structure. Wood brackets or cross-pieces at the appropriate vertical levels to support scaffold planking must be nailed to the forms, and usually require supporting columns spaced outwardly from the wall. The'plan king is shifted to higher positions successively during the progress of the building. Such wooden framework is expensive in time, labor and materials, and-frequently proves to .be awkward and obstructive.

The present invention provides an improved scafiold supporting structure particularly adapted-to "be used in erecting and stripping concrete forms, which is s'upported directly from the form itself.- In particular, the invention enables the builder toerect a concrete form structure to substan'tial'ly any height without a special scaffold framework and without once nailing -or bolting to the form any scaffold members or special :scaffold supporting parts. In accordance with the invention, individual metal scaffold brackpositions as thestructure rises, and as a result of the manner in which the brackets engage the eoncrete term structure they are securely braced against being swung sideways-cut of position by sliding the heavy wooden scafiold planks endwise over the horizontal platform-supporting members-of -the brackets. With each new setting of -the-scaifoldingat a'next higher (or lower) location, brackets for the next scaifold may be installed on the building structure with comparative-ease.

The advantages of using over and over again on different building projects the same inexpensive andlig ht-weight scaffold bracketswhich can be handled easily by a workman and conveniently shifted from one position to another, up'or 'downontheconcrete form wall, and with- -=out waste of valuable lumber'in scaffold framework built separately or= nailed to the building structure should be evident.

The simplicityand utility of the inventionare its principal merits. Preferably the "scaffold brackets herein disclosed areof welded "construction, comprising two straight angle iron .isectionsl .2 joined at their ends to a right angle corner and joined at points spaced from the corner by a cliagonal angle iron brace. When the bracket is installed on a concrete form wall, one of the straight sections, bearing against .the side of the wall, extends vertically, and the other projects outwardly .at right angles therefrom to support planking or other platform elements.

According to a feature of the invention the bracket is suspended vertically and held against side sway by a short fangle iron spreader made fast at the bracket right angle corner perpendicular to the plane of the bracket and two downwardly directed, L-shaped hook members secured to the ends of the spreader. The hooks engage over-and are supported by the concrete form walers, and the hook ends prevent detachment of the bracket by engaging the inner face of the 'waler. vSide sway of the bracket is prevented by the hookon one side and the spreader on the .opposite side of the waler closely embracing the latter at points spaced laterally of the bracket and lengthwise of the waler.

Other features of this device, in addition to the details of the preferred construction shown in the drawings, will now become further evident from the following description.

Figure l is a side elevation view of thebracket of the scaffold installed. Figure 2 isia perspective viewv of the same shown without planking laid on the bracket. Figure 3 is a planiview of a single bracket installed on a concrete form.

Figure 4- is a perspective view showinga single bracket and an associated railpost, separated therefrom over its rail post support on-the bracket for clarity of illustration. Figure 5 is a frag- 'mentary perspective view of a somewhat'modified bracket.

The concrete form structure illustrated in broken lines in Figures 1 and 3 and in solid lines in Figure 2, comprises the walls ill formed of shiplap, or other suitable board material, nailed at intervals along their length to the upright two-by-four studs l2. The two rows :of studding are backed by horizontal wales or stringers, i4, comprising paired two-by-fours, spaced apart vertically at proper'distances depending on their distance down from the top of the wall. The

two-by-fours of the stringer pairs M are spaced head, one numbered l8 being secured by an apertured wedge pressed against the side of the stringer by tension in the rod, and the head 22 at its opposite end, between which and the adjacent stringer is engaged the slotted wedge 24. By the wedging action of the two wedges 22 and 24 the opposite walers are drawn together, as are the rows of studs and opposite walls they support, to the limit permitted by spacer flanges on the tie rods holding apart the walls.

Viewed in their installed position the brackets comprise a straight angle iron section 28 for vertical disposition, a horizontal angle iron section 30, the joined ends of such sections having one flange bent and the other flange notched and welded, and a diagonal brace angle iron section 32 welded to the straight sections at points near their free ends. An angle iron spreader 34 is welded or otherwise attached, near its mid-point, to the bracket corner at the junction of sections 28 and 3|]. Such spreader is at right angles to the brackets general plane, and its flanges overlap the ends of such sections. The vertical flange provides a flat bearing surface 34 which directly abuts the side of the waler from which the bracket issuspended.

Parallel bracket-supporting. hooks 36 are welded to the upper, horizontal flange of the spreader 34 at points near its ends, and they project at right angles away from the spreader and then turn downwardly parallel to the face 34 of the spreader. The downwardly projecting ends of the hooks and the spreaders vertical flange closely embrace the waler at locations spaced apart a substantial distance so that the bracket is held rigidly against side sway. In the construction of the bracket the hooks must be mounted at a spacing sufllciently great that positive side sway elimination is achieved, and also to enable the hooks 36 to straddle a vertical stud on the form structure, to limit endwise sliding of the bracket along a stringer beyond the end of the scaffold planking 33 which it supports.

The vertical side 28 of the bracket is sufliciently long that it may bear directly against a waler below the one upon which the hooks rest. The tie rods and their wedges 20 and 24 may be located at positions along the walers such that they will not interfere with the engagement of the bracket hooks and spreader with intersecting portions of the walers and studs.

The outer end of the horizontal, plank-supporting side of the bracket carries a rail post stud in the form of a short upright stub 38, such as shown in Figure 4. The angle iron rail post 40 then has a stub-receiving socket formed by the short section of angle iron 42 having its flanges welded to the flanges of the post near its lower end. To the upper end of the rail post may be welded an upwardly opening U-shaped rail-receiving yoke or socket 44, which receives the overlapping ends of two-by-four guard rails 35. A set screw 46 clamps the rail ends together in the socket at each joint to provide a continuous railing extending the length of the scaffold assembly.

An alternative form of bracket is shown in Figure 5, in which the hook members '35 are secured to the spreader 34 by pivot elements such as bolts 31. Consequently, in this structure both hooks may be swung away from their positions projecting beyond the spreader and back alongside the section 30. In this form of device a tube 50 is welded to the upright section 28 of the bracket in registry with an aperture through such section. When the hooks 38 are swung back out of operative posi- 4 tion, as described above, a bolt 52 may be inserted through the tube 50 and section 28 to pass through a side of the form. The bolt will be secured in place by a nut 54 into which it is screwed, and which may be held against rotation by a nail driven into the form wall and passing through a hole 56 in the flange 58 of the nut. When the bracket is supported by bolt 52 instead of hooks 36', it may later be removed merely by unscrewing bolt 50, leaving the nut 54 secured to the wall.

All of its parts being of lightweight and simple construction, and being easily installed and securely anchored in place, the scaffold supporting structure of the invention offers many advantages not found in earlier devices for similar purposes.

Inasmuch as each concrete form structure will usually embody walers at spaced vertical locations throughout its entire height, the brackets may be installed without damage to or modiflcation of the form structure. In use, the brackets will simply be shifted to progressively higher locations as the construction progresses, or to lower locations when stripping the form from the resulting concrete wall.

We claim as our invention:

1. Scaffold supporting structure comprising a triangular frame including mutually perpendicular, integral angle iron sides. one being normally horizontal to support horizontally a scaffold platform, and the other being normally upright to bear against the side of a building structure, and an angle iron diagonal member bridging between and welded to said mutually perpendicular sides, an angle iron spreader extending transversely of said frame and having its central portion welded to the junction of said frame sides. and having flanges respectively overlapping said frame sides, and a pair of right angle hooks welded to the horizontal spreader flange at locations near its opposite ends, respectively, projecting transversely therefrom away from but substantially parallel to said horizontal frame side and then downwardly parallel to the normally upright flange of said spreader, to grip a waler between said downwardly projecting portions of the hooks and the normally upright flange of the spreader to support the frame and to hold it firmly against swaying laterally.

2. Scaffold supporting structure comprising a triangular frame including mutually perpendicular sides secured together, one being normally horizontal to support horizontally a scaffold platform, and the other being normally upright to bear against the side of a building structure, and a diagonal member bridging between said mutually perpendicular sides and having its opposite ends, respectively, secured thereto, a spreader extending transversely of said frame and having its central portion supported thereby at the junction of said frame sides and its opposite ends projecting, respectively, substantial distances laterally beyond said frame sides, and having a flat portion overlapping said upright frame side and disposed in a plane parallel thereto, and a pair of hooks secured to said spreader at locations near its opposite ends, respectively, having portions projecting transversely from the upper'edge of said spreader away from but substantially parallel to said horizontal frame side and portions projecting therefrom downwardly parallel to said spreader flat portion, to grip a waler between said downwardly projecting portions of the hooks and-the flat portion of the spreader to support the frame and hold it flrmly against swaying I. laterally. .I j

3. The scaffold supporting structure defined in claim 2, and means plvotally connecting each of th hooks to the spreader to enable swinging of such hooks away from such transversely projecting positions about respective axes generally parallel to the normally upright frame side.

REUBEN E. PIERSON. CHARLES W. HERWIG.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Long Nov. 27, 1888 Number Number Number Name Date Ramsey May 10, 1892 Seeley May 9, 1905 Balback July 16, 1907 Murdoch June 22, 1909 Boilot Oct. 22, 1912 Thiel Mar. 1, 1921 Trester Mar. 27, 1923 Young Nov. 27, 1934 Lewworthy June 21, 1938 Thornley Oct. 19, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Mar. 31, 1930 (1st Addition to No. 605,156) 

